Electric toothbrushes are popular since these toothbrushes can provide a higher level of cleaning compared to that obtainable with manual toothbrushes. In general, electric toothbrushes comprise a base which functions as a handle, a shaft that extends from the base, and a tuft assembly (i.e. brush head), having bristles, located at the distal end of the shaft. The electric toothbrush further comprises an electric motor located in the base and a transmission located in the base and/or the shaft. During use, the electric motor provides rotational energy to the transmission which in turn provides rotational motion to the tuft assembly to provide brushing action to clean the teeth of the electric toothbrush user.
The bristles on the tuft assembly can become worn due to usage over time and should be replaced. In this case, some electric toothbrushes provide a shaft that is removably attachable to the base of the electric toothbrush so that the tuft assembly can be replaced. However, the cost of replacing the tuft assembly is increased since both the shaft and the tuft assembly are replaced while usually only the tuft assembly needs to be replaced.